Folding table



(No Model.)

H. T. BIRCHARD.

FOLDING TABLE. No. 340,087. Patented Apr. 20, 1886.

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HENRY T. BIRCHARD, or MONTROSE,

PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES H. BIRGHARD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING TABLE.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,087, dated April 20, 1886.

Application filed January 30, 1886. Serial No. 190,860. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY T. BIROHARD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Montrose, in the county of Susquehanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Tables, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in folding tables; and the novelty consists of the peculiar construction and combination of parts,substantially as herei nafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved folding table. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the table with the legs thereof folded. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line as w of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line y 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures, A designates the top of my improved folding table, which is of any preferred form and size, and B the battens or strips that are arranged at the ends on the lower face of the top A, said battens being arranged transversely of the top, and secured thereto by screws or other suitable fastening devices.

O designates the foldable legs of the table, that are disposed in pairs at each end of the table-top, within the battens B thereof, and against which they abut,and are braced,when

5 they are unfolded, to assume a vertical position. The legs of each pair are preferably ornamented, as shown, and they are provided at their upper ends with squared or rectangular portions 0 of any preferred size, that abut o squarely and firmly against the battens to steady the legs and hold them rigid to support the table very firmly. The legs of each pair are connected together at their squared or angular upper portions, 0, by a cross bar or brace,

0, that is firmly and rigidly connected to the legs, and the legs are hinged, as at d, to the table-top A,to adapt them to assume a vertical position to support the table, or a horizontal position to lie against the lower under face of said top, the legs when in this latter position fitting closely against the top to fold very compactly to adapt the table to takeup the smallest possible space and be transported or stored away. The legs of the pairs when in their horizontal folded positions lie within and parallel with, each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and one leg of each pair rests on a beveled or curved end ofa supporting-block, E. This block E is secured to the lower face of the top transversely across the same, and at the middle thereof between the legs, and the ends of this block are curved or beveled inwardly and downwardly to correspond to the curvature or inclination of that part of the legs which bears or rests thereon.

F designates aspring-bar, which is made of stout yielding or flexible wood for cheap ness in the manufacture, and this spring-bar is arranged longitudinally of the top at the middle thereof, and it is secured at its mid dle to the supporting-block E by a screw or other suitable means.

The height of the supporting-block E is considerably less than the height of the crossbar O of the legs when the latter are unfolded to assume a vertical position-that is to say, when the legs are unfolded the lower face or edges of the cross-bar (1 thereof lie on a plane that is considerably lower than the plane of the lower faces ofthe block E, whereby the ends of the spring-bar are caused to bear or impinge with considerable force or pressure on the cross-bars of the legs to hold the latter rigidly in place when they are unfolded. The lower edges of the cross or tie bars that connect the legs are notched, as at i, on their under faces, and these notches or recessed portion are in alignment with each other and the block E.

Near the outer ends of the spring-bar are provided notches or recessesj,on opposite side edges thereof, that provide shoulders is Z, which bear on opposite side faces of the notched portion of the cross or tie bars of the legs. When the legs are unfolded, the ends of the springbar ride upon the cross or tie bars of the legs, and when the latter' assume a vertical position that portion of the springbar between the notchesj therein springs or snaps into the notches 2', so that the shoulders 7c 1 bear on 0pposite side faces of the cross-bars. By this construction the ends of the spring-bar fit flush with the lower edges of the tie .or cross bar,

folded and occupy a'vertical position.

' foldable legs to retain them in place.

The-operation-of the device is obvious. To unfold the legs, it is only necessery to grasp them by the hand and move them to a vertical position, when the notched ends'of the spring-bar will spring into the notches ito prevent play of the legs, which will abut against the battens. To fold the legs, the ends of the spring-bar are elevated out of the notches and the legs turned to bear against the under face of the top.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be seen that I provide a table which can be quickly and readily folded, for storage or transportation, very compactly within the smallest possible space, that the legs thereof lie or bear against the top when in their folded position, and are prevented from moving, while at the same time the tension on the spring-bar is re duced to a minimum or wholly released, that the battens and the shoulders in the notched ends of the spring-bar hold the legs rigidly and firmly in place when the latter are unfolded, and that the device is very simple, light, strong, and durable in its construction, thoroughly effective for the purposes designed, and easy of operation, and cheap and inex pensive of manufacture.

I am aware that heretofore a folding table has been provided with a pair of folding legs at each end of the top battens against which the legs bear when they are unfolded, and a single longitudinal spring secured at its middle directly to the top and having its free ends bearing against the tie-bar of each pair of the I am further aware that a folding table has been provided with a block to which one or more springs are secured, and the free ends of the springs rest in recesses formed in one edge of the cross or tie bars connecting each pair of legs when they are unfolded. My invention differs from these devices in the fact that the cut out on their under faces to adapt the free cross-bars of each pair of legs are recessed or ends of the spring to lie flush therein when the legs are unfolded, and the free ends of the springsare also notched on opposite sides to provide locking-shoulders which bear on opposite faces'of the cross or tie bars when the ends of the spring rest in the recesses therein, and thus prevent the legstfrom movement in either direction. I

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a folding table, thecombination of the top, the battens secured thereto, hinged legs O,arranged in pairs at each end of the top and having the notched tie-bars G, a block,'E, secured to the top between the legs and lying on a plane above the lower edges of the crossbars 0, and a spring-bar, F, secured to the block E and having its ends notched to provide the locking-shoulders kl, substantially as described.

2. A folding table comprising a top, the transverse battens B, foldable legs 0, hinged to the top and having the cross or tie bars C provided with notches or recessesi in their lower edges, a transverse block, E, secured to the middle of the top and. provided with the inclined or curved ends, and a longitudinal springbar, F, secured to the block and hav'-' ing its free ends notched on opposite sides and provided with locking-shoulders k 1, whereby when the legs are unfolded the ends of the spring-bar will liefl-ush in the recessesi of the tie-bar O and the shoulders k I will fit on op- 

